At the current time, silk screening is being accomplished by two primary methods: the first being the manual method wherein the screen is stretched and the ink is applied by an individual person flooding the screen and then squeegeeing the screen. As is obvious, to get a consistent quality product with the manual method, the individual doing the screening must be skilled and must not allow the speed of his strokes, pressure upon the screen or the angle of his tool to vary because of fatigue and/or distractions.
The second primary method of silk screening is found in high volume silk screen shops which employ automatic silk screening devices which cost anywhere from $30,000 on up. The cost makes these devices prohibitive for many operations. It is to be understood that not only are the automatic silk screening devices expensive, but they are also large and heavy, rendering them a permanently installed device.
Prior art devices known to the present inventor include:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,441 granted to Hillman et al, Dec. 30, 1969, discloses a universal table including a compound adjustment means for positioning the device to be screened beneath the screen.
U.S Pat. No. 3,955,501 granted to Bubley et al, on May 11, 1976, discloses a screen printing press and is particularly directed to an actuator for the squeegee and flood bar.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,920 granted to Crowley et al, Aug. 2, 1977 discloses an apparatus for controlling the position of the squeegee by means of a cam and cam-follower mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,503 granted Ishinose, Dec. 20, 1977, discloses an automatic screen printing machine, and in particular, discloses a device wherein an automatic flat screen printing machine, the relative vertical movement of the stencil, and the position of the material to be printed is performed in the proper sequence by mounting the squeegee and doctor blade on a common support driven by a mutual pinion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,505 granted to Ishinose, Dec. 18, 1978, discloses a means for adjusting the phase of a flat screen in an automatic screen printing machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,242 granted to Ishinose, on Jun. 14, 1978, discloses a screen printing machine wherein a lifting device causes the material to be printed to be moved into contact with the screen during the printing step and lowers and separates the material during non-printing periods.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,613 granted to Mitter, Aug. 1, 1978, discloses a screen printing machine including one or more stations wherein each station is capable of multi-color printing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,593 granted to Strauch et al, Aug. 29, 1978, discloses a device for silk screening upon cylindrical devices including a means for adjusting the machine to accommodate various diameters.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,799 granted Coaula et al, Oct. 3, 1978 discloses an automatic printing device wherein the blanks to be printed are automatically moved into and out of the printing station.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,150 granted to Lala, Feb. 3, 1981, discloses a linkage between the screen and the flood bar which controls the relative vertical position of the apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,550 granted to Bubley, Nov. 8, 1983, discloses a multi-screen drive for screen printing presses.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,736 granted to Strutz, Jr. et al, Dec. 4, 1984, discloses an ink dispensing system for use with a silk screen printing machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,254 granted to Landisman et al, Jan. 15, 1985, discloses a carousel-type rotatable screen printing machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,864 granted to Klemm, Apr. 16, 1985, discloses a screen printing machine including an internal cooling unit and includes a web supply roller located beneath the printing station.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,336 granted to Klemm, May 20, 1986, discloses a screen printing machine having a reciprocal printing screen and a counter-pressure roller.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,814 granted to Klemm on Dec. 16, 1986, discloses a machine having reciprocable screens and which allows more ready access to the screen.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,524 granted to Reimer on Apr. 4, 1989, discloses an apparatus wherein the ink pressure is held constant by varying the squeegee speed and/or squeegee angle.